Depths「奥底, Okusoko?」 is the one-hundred thirty-fourth chapter of Oshi no Ko manga series. It is written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari.
Summary[]
At Ichigo Production, Inc, Ruby tries to greet Kana as normal, but the latter ignores her. Noticing the tense atmosphere, Mem-Cho tries to brighten the mood but Kana shuts her down. Ruby then tells Mem-Cho that Kana told her that she hated her, leaving the Youtuber stunned.
Later, at Youtou High School, Frill discusses acting over lunch with Ruby, Minami, and another classmate. She explains that, while performing, she tricks her mind into developing feelings she does not have, tending to genuinely fall in love with her co-stars during romance scenes, though this quickly fades once filming is done. She describes this skill as the "bare minimum" requirement to be an actor. Frill also cites that people who plan out out their performance do not survive long in the industry, since directors often change things up. She claims that only way through such situations is to get so deep into the performance that it will guide you, which only "true actors" are capable of. Frill's lecture makes Ruby wonder if Kana's tirade was also an act, but she quickly concludes that it was not and Kana genuinely hates her.
That evening, at Mem-Cho's apartment, the Youtuber scolds Kana for her tirade against Ruby. However, Kana calls her out for having her own complaints against their co-star that she keeps hidden. While Mem-Cho argues that B-Komachi will collapse if they all start criticizing each other, Kana claims that she does not care, since she will be quitting the group soon, and that letting her feelings out made her realize just how much she kept bottled up. Kana then realizes that she is getting more-and-more into the "role" of Nino.
At the set of The 15 Year Lie, after filming more scenes, Ruby begins to weep alone in the dressing room. A staff member notices her mental state and calls on Gotanda to do something, believing he pushing her too far, but the director decides to just leave her be for now. Ruby thinks back on her relationship with Kana, trying to work out when her co-star started hating her, and questions how her mother could not have been hurt despite facing a similar situation with Nino. Still dressed as Ai, Ruby then notices her reflection in the mirror, Ai's reflection, with tears in her eyes. This causes Ruby to wonder if her mother was actually the same as her: a frail girl who hid her pain behind a smile.
Characters[]
